Outsourcing – Why is it still a four-letter word in some firms?

Outsourcing – Why is it still a four-letter word in some firms?

By Robert C. Mattern

With 70% of law firms outsourcing a portion of their back office and 45% considering outsourcing some middle office functions, it is clear that outsourcing is on the rise for law firms. This is because, when executed correctly, it can be an excellent management tool to increase service levels, broaden talent and manage costs.

There are still some firms which are reluctant to embrace the financial and operational benefits of outsourcing; these firms may have anecdotal evidence of an outsourcing engagement gone ‘wrong’ or executed incorrectly. These anecdotes should not be dismissed and every firm considering outsourcing needs to carefully weigh the needs of their firm culture to the demands of a rapidly changing marketplace. However, when outsourcing situations are structured properly attuned to your firm’s needs with the “right” vendor–it creates a win-win-win situation for the firm, the vendor and most importantly, the employees.

My company has worked with firms that outsourced in-house processes very successfully and have seen others where the process did not go as well as it should have, primarily because the focus was on immediate savings and poor decision making.

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“Mattern did an excellent job collecting the information they needed to support the report and presentation in addition to the presentation to the Management Committee. The committee signed off during the meeting on the charge back model they recommended. I didn’t expect endorsement that soon, but I believe most of that was attributable to how well Mattern presented the cost recovery model. Nice work and we are very pleased with the outcome.”Duane Lites, Jackson Walker LLP

About Mattern & Associates

Mattern & Associates is the leader in legal business process consulting and cost recovery solutions. We provide law firms with unbiased strategies for measurably improving the efficiency and cost effectiveness of in-house and outsourced back and middle office services.